Chaplaincy is a form of serving others to relieve suffering. The Buddhist Council trains and appoints chaplains to volunteer to go into hospitals and prisons where they work as part of a multi-faith team. Buddhist chaplains offer emotional and spiritual support, loving-kindness and compassion. They bring a caring presence and willingness to listen, especially during times of difficulty. Chaplains may be ordained monastics (monks and nuns) or lay people.

The Buddhist Council is a religious member organisation of the Civil Chaplaincies Advisory Committee (CCAC)LINK https://www.ccacnsw.org.au/, an interfaith group responsible for endorsing chaplains to work in the Departments of Corrective Services, Health and Juvenile Justice. We have agreements with Corrective Services and Health to appoint chaplains.

We provide accredited training for chaplains through the NSW College of Clinical Pastoral Education.  The Introductory Unit of CPE, which takes place over five days, teaches participants how to express their Buddhist beliefs in their offering of care to individuals in life transitions from birth to death and dying.

For information on the chaplaincy program email chaplaincy@buddhistcouncil.org